This invention relates to children's toys and more particularly to a mat for children to jump on that makes popping sounds.
Micro-bubble plastic laminate cushioning sheets as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,081 issued Jul. 9, 1968 to Chavannes and 5,084,324 issued Jan. 28, 1992 to Schirmer are well known for packing fragile items for shipment. They are generally made of polyolefin plastics soft enough so that the bubbles can be broken with a popping sound when squeezed. People enjoy breaking these bubbles to hear the popping sound. Children even enjoy jumping on the material to pop the bubbles. However, the prior art material presents several dangers to children as a plaything. The flat plastic material of the underside is slick and smooth, having a natural lubricity. It can easily slip or skid out from under a jumping child who has become accustomed to the soft landing provided by the bubbles, thereby leading to injury. The soft nature of the product that permits it to wrap around irregular objects for cushioning can result in a young child being wrapped up in the sheet and suffocated. Consequently the micro-bubble cushioning material of the prior art should not be used as a plaything for children.